Is rain too late to save crops?

Farmers are hoping the recent downpours of rain will help crops recover.

TLU SA chair Bennie van Zyl said Eastern Highveld farmers’ crops were damaged, especially soya beans, which were destroyed.

“Some of the soya beans might recover once we get rain. Mielies are tough plants, and they recover well when they have the opportunity. So we have faith that the crops will recover before harvest,” he said.

Hope that crops will recover before harvest

Van Zyl said traditional planting time was mid-November but there was still a window for farmers to plant more.

He added that if production for the season fell, it was not only problematic for the farmers, but also for the country.

“Business isn’t good currently in South Africa. There is economic pressure and we don’t have a lot of buying power currently.”

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“It is not just farmers struggling but other business owners, too. If there’s no food on the table you can’t work and your business won’t work either,” he said.

Van Zyl said food on the table was a strategic asset because it was the starting point for many other sectors.

“We want the whole economy to grow so there are consumers and an environment in which investors trust in our capacity and invest in our businesses and economy, which is not what is happening currently,” he said.

Economy must grow

There are too many doubts, uncertainties and security risks that cause farmers and businesses to struggle, Van Zyl added.

“We are very worried about agriculture. Meat prices moved horizontally for a very long but due to input costs, the price has increased dramatically, which was a dilemma,” he said.

South African Weather Service forecaster Wayne Venter said chances of rain in the western parts of the country were more likely next week, but still not promising.

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“The Northern Cape, the western parts of the North West, and the western parts of the Free State are still experiencing dry and warm conditions with isolated thunderstorms and showers forecast for the next week,” he said.

Venter said while the interior of the country might have about 100mm to 300mm of rain in the next week leading up to Christmas, the western parts were likely to have as little as 10 to 20mm.

“We hope that the rain patterns will shift in January and February and those parts will receive more rain. The chances are now better than a month ago,” he said.

Hope that rain patterns will shift in early 2025

Van Zyl said seed farmers were also being affected by high input costs. They have to transport their produce back and forth and are reliant on the market to sell it.

“The rain is wonderful and will help a lot, not only for the crops but also for the cattle. But many farmers are still waiting for good rains,” he said.

Van Zyl said that on Sunday, when the summer solstice starts and sun is at maximum intensity in the southern hemisphere, farmers will have a new set of challenges.

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Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa chief economist Wandile Sihlobo said the heatwave in most regions of South Africa was worrying and if it persisted, it might put a strain on agricultural activity in some areas.

“The recent heatwave has been challenging and costly for livestock farmers who require feed for these regions,” he added.

Sihlobo said the near-term weather prospects of a possibility of heavy rain over the next two weeks was hopeful.

Hopeful for heavy rain

“I remain optimistic about the 2024-25 agricultural season in South Africa. The southern Africa region endured a heavy mid-summer drought in the 2023-24 season, which led to massive crop failure.”

“For example, the 2023-24 grains and oilseeds harvest in South Africa fell by 23% year-on-year.”

“Zimbabwe’s maize crop declined by 60% and Zambia’s maize crop fell by half. There were also massive crop losses in Lesotho, Mozambique and Malawi,” Sihlobo said.

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